Anti-govt protests rock Jammu on darbar move re-opening

Protests rocked Jammu on the re-opening of Civil Secretariat here as part of the bi-annual darbar move, with the opposition parties holding separate demonstrations, accusing the BJP-PDP led state government of complete failure on all fronts.

Police used batons to stop the protesting workers of both the parties from moving towards the secretariat building. (PTI)

Protests rocked Jammu on the re-opening of Civil Secretariat here as part of the bi-annual darbar move, with the opposition parties holding separate demonstrations, accusing the BJP-PDP led state government of complete failure on all fronts.

Congress activists led by President of J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC), G A Mir and other senior leaders of the state unit of the party marched towards the building of Civil Secretariat, but were stopped on way.

Police used batons to stop the protesting workers of both the parties from moving towards the secretariat building.

“Five of our women workers were injured in the cane charge. Several of our senior leaders including Mir and several former ministers are amongst 300 party workers who courted arrested today,” Chief Spokesman of state Congress Ravinder Sharma claimed.

He said the party was forced to come on the roads to protest the “complete failure of the state and the Central government” on all fronts.

Congress workers also raised slogans against the BJP-PDP coalition government.

“Not a single promise that was made to the people of the country and the state prior to the elections has been fulfilled. The people of the country and the state are left in the lurch,” Sharma said.

Activists of National Conference led by Mustafa Kamal, Party General Secretary and several senior leaders staged a protest march from the party office in Jammu but were stopped as they marched towards the Civil Secretariat.

“Over 300 of our workers including the Provincial President and other senior leaders courted arrest,” NC spokesman, Madan Mantoo said.

Accusing the BJP-PDP coalition in the state of “complete failure” to govern the state, the NC leader said, “be it Kashmir or Jammu or Ladakh, this BJP-PDP government has completely failed on all the fronts.”

Mantoo said that while the people of Kashmir were suffering due to the continuous unrest in the valley for the past over four months, the people in Jammu are facing the worst-ever situation due to ceasefire violations from across the border.

“Be it the promise of making bunkers for the border residents or giving them five Marla plots, the government has failed to do anything in this regard.The government has miserably failed on all the fronts,” Mantoo said.

Meanwhile, several organisations of Gujjars and Bakerwals also held a protest alleging the government was forcefully evicting them from their lands.

Police said they have detained protesting workers of both the parties.

“We are compiling the list of the number of people detained,” a senior police officer said